White spaghetti pie is a comforting baked pasta that combines Pecorino and Fontina cheese with eggs and cracked black pepper to create a sauce that’s tossed with spaghetti, and baked in a skillet until perfectly crisp on the outside but still creamy on the inside.
When my family hears I’m making spaghetti pie, they can’t help but smile.
We categorize spaghetti pie under ultra comfort food right alongside baked mac and cheese and lasagna, and lasagna pie.
This white spaghetti pie has a similar flavor profile to cacio e pepe thanks to the Pecorino and the black pepper but we’ve also added Fontina cheese for extra flavor and creaminess.
I love to serve a slice of spaghetti pie alongside a cup of soup and a green salad.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Spaghetti. You could easily sub linguine or fettuccine if you like.
- Cheese. Fontina and Pecorino Romano are used. If you prefer the pie to be creamier, you can add 1 – 1 1/2 cups of ricotta. Also, mozzarella can be subbed for fontina.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 375f and set one rack on the middle level and the other at the top level. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook 1 pound of spaghetti until 2 minutes less than al dente. While the water is boiling, grate 3/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese and shred 2 cups of Fontina cheese. In a large bowl beat together 8 large eggs with 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cracked black pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups of the Fontina and 1/2 cup of the Pecorino Romano cheese and stir to combine.
- Heat a 10-inch oven-proof, ideally cast iron, pan to medium heat. Drain the spaghetti and add to the bowl with the cheese mixture, stirring well to combine.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the hot pan and spread to coat the whole pan.
- Add the spaghetti mixture to the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring, then turn off the heat.
- Top the spaghetti with the remaining Fontina and Pecorino and bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the spaghetti pie is set.
- For a browner top, move the pan to the upper rack and broil for 1-2 minutes but watch carefully. After removing from the oven, allow the spaghetti pie to sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy! Note: You can easily remove the whole spaghetti pie to a plate by either flipping it into a large platter or by just using 2 large spatulas.
Top tips
The pasta. Cooking your spaghetti to 2 minutes less than al dente will help ensure that the pasta doesn’t become too mushy during the baking process.
The pan. I strongly recommend using a 10-inch cast iron pan to make this spaghetti pie. It heats evenly and allows the pie to get nice and brown on the bottom and the sides. It is also oven safe which makes it easy to move from the stovetop to the oven. You can also use a springform pan or round baking dish but may need to cook a few minutes longer.
Cooking the pie. The pie will cook on the stovetop for 1 minute before being placed in the oven for 12-15 minutes, and then broiling at the very end for 1-2 minutes. You may see some spaghetti pie recipes where the pie is flipped and cooked on both sides, but that’s not necessary. Cooking it in the manner described here will yield just as good a result as flipping and it’s much easier.
Rest time. After removing from the oven allow the pie to sit for about 5 minutes before removing and slicing and serving.
Additions. If you’re a fan of our videos, you’ll notice that Jim made a cacio e pepe sauce to serve on top of the spaghetti pie. If you want to do this, add about 1/2 cup of pasta water to 1 cup of Pecorino and cracked pepper and mix/adjust cheese or water until it reaches the desired consistency. You can also add a touch of butter to make it more creamy.
More creamy and comforting recipes
- Spinach lasagna roll-ups – creamy ricotta, mozzarella, and spinach with a white bechamel sauce.
- Creamy mushroom pasta bake – roasted mushrooms, spinach, fontina, and ricotta with rigatoni.
- Baked ziti – the ultimate baked pasta with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and ricotta.
If you’ve enjoyed this White Spaghetti Pie Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles. If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.
For more never-before-seen recipe videos, become a Patreon member today!
White Spaghetti Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 8 large eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated, divided
- 2 cups Fontina cheese shredded, divided
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375f and set a rack on the middle level and the other rack near the top.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until 2 minutes less than al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups Fontina, and a 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese and stir to combine.
- Heat a 10-inch oven-proof or ideally a cast iron pan to medium heat.
- Drain the spaghetti and add to the bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Add the butter and oil to the hot pan and spread to coat the whole pan. Add the spaghetti mixture to the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring then turn off the heat.
- Top with the remaining Fontina and Pecorino and bake for 12-15 minutes in the center of the oven or until the spaghetti pie is set. For a browner top, move the pan to the upper rack and broil for 1-2 minutes but watch carefully.
- Let the spaghetti pie sit for 5 minutes before cutting it into slices. Enjoy!
Notes
- The exact cooking time will vary but should be around 12-15 minutes. Bake the spaghetti pie just until it sets, then if desired, move to the broiler to further brown the top.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in a pan of the oven until warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good morning Chef
Sounds delicious! Can I substitute ricotta for fontina cheese?
Can you explain difference between the cheese?
Hi Lorraine, fontina is a slicing cheese while ricotta is grainy and has much more moisture than fontina. I’d encourage you to look at images of both cheeses to really see the difference. If you need to replace the fontina, we suggest using shredded mozzarella. If you still want to add ricotta in addition, you can but the pie will be much creamier. See the top tips section regarding substitutions for more info.
Can this be made in a pie dish… Can’t wait~
Hi Elyce, yes, you can make this in a pie dish.
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it later this week.
Hi Jim, Love all your recipes. I would like to make this for a luncheon but I will need two , Can I put the spaghetti in an aluminum pan to bake it then on a heating tray ?
Hi De, while we haven’t tested this one in an aluminum pan, it should work that way. So happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
excited to make it thank you
Hi Alex, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy!
This looks delicious, thank you for sharing. Everything you make, all your food presentations, are welcome and beautifully done. Thank you again for sharing, it is so appreciated. Stay well and stay safe.
Hi Elizabeth, we’re so happy you enjoyed this one and really appreciate your comment!
Super easy, Super good. What a great dinner for Friday night. Once again money in the bank.
Hi Jeff, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and really appreicate the comment and rating!
I know I’m going to love this pie. I had to share this with my sister as our Nona made it for us. She reminded me that nona also added pine nuts and raisins. Have you heard of that ?
I’m making your Italian Zucchini Soup tonight.
Hi Anna, thanks for the comment and hope you love the recipe! The addition of pine nuts and raisins in a spaghetti pie sounds great! Hope you enjoyed the zucchini soup too!
I tried the White Spaghetti pielast night. Delicious! My family loved it. I did add chopped prosciutto and finely chopped shallots that I cooked in the iron skillet while the spaghetti cooked. They were a good addition. I plan to try it with the 4 eggs and ricotta since I love anything with ricotta. Also made the Italian Broccoli Salad, the delicious lemony dressing and “al dente” broccoli was a perfect side with the pie. I enjoy your You Tube videos and love how you and your family are involved in the taste ratings as well as the sauce, frozen pizza etc. rankings/recommendations.
Hi Sandy, I really appreciate your comment and love the additions you made! So happy you liked the broccoli salad too. Thanks for following along and watching our videos. I really appreciate it!
Jim,
Made this last night. Absolutely delicious. Want to try adding ricotta. Would 1 cup be the amount to add? Also, my dad would use mozzarella and diced prosciutto. What do you think? Love your recipes. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Joe
Hi Joe, so happy you liked the spaghetti pie. You can try with 1 cup of ricotta and you may need to subtract a few eggs (3 maybe). I haven’t tested it this way so I can’t say for sure. The addition of mozzarella and prosciutto sounds great!
This sounds wonderful, but would like to transform it into a seafood spaghetti pie. Could I use my Shrimp Scampi Dip as a starting point ie sauce. Then a ricotta/ egg combo to set it?
Hi Kathi, I haven’t tested this recipe with shrimp scampi dip, and not sure what’s in it, so I can’t say for sure. Please let us know if you do happen to test it out that way.
It was a total success! Check out my Instagram post Cookingonthefarm to see a pic.
Hi Kathi, glad you enjoyed it, I’ll take a look!
Hello , I was wondering if I could trade out some eggs for ricotta do say 4 eggs replaced by 1/2 or so of ricotta ? to make it less eggy but consistently staying the same or similar
Hi Elaina, You can 100% do that. 1 egg equals roughly 65 grams. 1 cup ricotta equals around 250 grams. So 4 eggs equal 1 cup of ricotta. Enjoy!
Can I use parmesan instead of romano
Hi Karen, yes, you can but just note that Pecorino is saltier than Parmigiano Reggiano, so you may need to adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Can I use a cheese other than fontina. Would mozzarella work?
Hi Nancy, yes, you can use mozzarella.
Hi Jim, I will make this on the weekend. Do you think I can use a pyrex glass deep bake dish for this white spaghetti pie? my caste iron pan is only 8 inches. Will the browning be compromised?
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Pilar, you can use a pyrex dish for it. You may need to bake it a little extra since it won’t be hot like the cast iron. Thanks for the comment and happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Isn’t there another version James,? The one with the sauce! Could I add those little sweet peppers and onions in the pie, or do you think it would be too much of something that is not needed? This,is an easy recipe for me and I am going to make it tomorrow! And by the way, I made your stuffed mushrooms recipe and I will tell you and readers ( cooks) out there to please make it! I thought mine were good, James your recipe is awesome, deliciou, tasty, easy to prepare and,the lemon in the mushrooms were great. It made complete. Please,they it? Now I want to make,them! Except I don’t have mushrooms!
Hi Carnela, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the mushrooms. There are many versions of spaghetti pie but the white version is the only one I have up on my website so far. The others will be up in time.
Question… I don’t have an oven-safe skillet, but I do have a terrific Dutch oven. Will that be okay to use, or does it completely change the character? I’d love to try this one out.
Hi Steph, thanks for reaching out. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, I’d recommend using a springform pan instead of a Dutch oven.
I definitely want to make this spaghetti pie. I don’t have a cast iron pan. Can I use a 9″ x 9″ x 3″ Springform pan? I have a round one and a square one. I love your recipes and presentations.
Hi Francine, yes, you can use a springform pan. Be sure to butter/oil the pan really well and place it on top of a baking sheet/tray. It won’t get as brown as with the cast iron skillet but will still be great.
Never made it. Will try it. Sounds delicious and easy!
Hope you enjoy it, Lee!
Found my mom’s Easter recipes she gave as gifts.
Macaroni Pie, Grain Pie, Rice Pie, Sweet Ricotta Anisette Pie,
Etc, etc, Her pies are sweet, with sugar, cream and ricotta.
Thanks for the memories. Love fontina, will try your recipe.
Thanks for the comment, Geri!
Very similar to the macaroni pie my grandmother taught me to make. Except I use Perciatelli (Bucatini when I can’t find Perciatelli) and bake it in a greased baking dish. Thanks for the reminder I haven’t made this in a while. I love your blog and youtube channel!
Hi Stellar, thanks for the comment, and so happy you’re enjoying the website and channel!